Watson ready to achieve goals

Browns TE Benjamin Watson is focused on giving his best and improving in order to help the team win games.

Some familiar faces were at the door to greet Browns tight end Benjamin Watson when he signed with the team back in March.

Those same faces Watson once saw on the Patriots’ sidelines are now leading him once again with the Browns. Those coaches signed Watson to be a major contributor to the offense, something he is also expecting out of himself.

“Coming into it, you just do whatever you can for the team,” said Watson. “We’ve got some great coaches here, some great players that have been here already. Right now, my job is simply just to learn what to do, practice hard and contribute when that time comes.

“That’s definitely a positive,” he added. “Knowing some of the coaches here and playing against some of the players here, there’s definitely some familiarity, but there’s always new people to meet.”

Watson is in his seventh NFL season, his first not in a Patriots uniform.

Though he has 167 career receptions for 2,102 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first six seasons, Watson still feels he has something to prove as the Browns continue with Organized Team Activities (OTAs) this week.

“Anytime you’re a player, it’s always great when a coach has confidence in you,” he said. “You just go out and try to practice. Hopefully, for anybody at any stage in their career, their goal is to always get better.

“The opportunities will be what we make them and we make them right here on the practice field by coming here every day, being consistent and making plays,” added Watson. “The coach’s No. 1 job is to put players in the position to be successful and our job is to make plays that we can make to win. Our main goal is just winning games. Whatever plays are out there for us, our goal is to make them.”

During Wednesday morning’s practice, Watson caught several passes, including one while sliding into the sidelines. After spending his entire career with Tom Brady and current Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassell throwing him the ball, Watson has enjoyed getting to work with Jake Delhomme and seeing him take ownership of the team.

“His record speaks for itself,” said Watson. “He’s obviously an established player in this league. For everybody coming to this team, this is a new team. The way we all look at it, the way I look at it is what I’ve done in the past really doesn’t matter. It’s all about what I can do now, what I can do to help this team win.

“As a quarterback, that kind of comes with the job, taking a leadership position,” he added. “That’s what a quarterback does; that’s what a quarterback is. He’s no stranger to being the leader of the offense because he’s been a quarterback for a long time.”

While Watson may know what to expect out of his quarterback from a leadership standpoint, he also knows the Browns coaches are adamant about versatility. Watson, too, is looking to improve in many facets of the game.

“As a tight end, you have to do a lot of things,” Watson said. “It’s not like all we do is catch or all we do is block. We have to be able to do a lot of things well, so that’s the challenge and the joy of playing the position. That’s why I’m out here, to become better at those things. The goal is to be the best football player I can be.”